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Kelly, Schakowsky, other House Dems staging sit-in for gun votes

<img src="https://suntimesmedia.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/clkqu4zwiai4ptw.jpg?w=670" alt="House Democrats Jan Schakowsky and John Lewis were among the dozens of representatives staging a sit-in on the House floor to demand a vote on gun control measures. | Rep. Jan Schakowsky Twitter feedWatch movie online The Transporter Refueled (2015)|House Democrats Jan Schakowsky and John Lewis were among the dozens of representatives staging a sit-in on the House floor to demand a vote on gun control measures. | Rep. Jan Schakowsky Twitter feedWatch movie online The Transporter Refueled (2015)” width=”670″ height=”503″ />

WASHINGTON — Led by Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a group of House Democrats — including Illinois members Robin Kelly and Jan Schakowsky — are staging a sit-in Wednesday on the House Floor to force GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan to allow votes on measures to curb gun violence.

Kelly and Schakowsky gave speeches before the sit-in began about gun deaths in Chicago. A little after that, Lewis started to speak, asked his Democratic colleagues to join him in the well of the House chamber and said the GOP blockade on votes had reached a tipping point. Rep. Tammy Duckworth was also heading to the floor to join the Democratic protesters.

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“We were elected to lead, Mr. Speaker. We must be headlights and not taillights,” Lewis said.

“Give us a vote . . . the American people demand an action. . . . We can no longer wait, we can no longer be patient. So today we come to the well of the House to dramatize the need for action. Not next month, not next year, but now, today.

House Democrats begin their sit-in Wednesday. | C-SPAN

“Sometimes you have to do something out of the ordinary. Sometime you have to make a way out of no way,” Lewis said.

“. . . There comes a time where you have to say something, to make a little noise, where you have to move your feet. This is the time. Now is the time to get in the way, the time to act is now. We will be silent no more. The time for silence is over . . . . We have to occupy the floor of the House in today’s action.”

As soon as the group of Democratic lawmakers started sitting down in the well of the House about 11:30 a.m. ET, a recess until noon ET was called and the House video feed — controlled by Republicans — was shut off. At noon the House briefly came back and then recessed again.